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Chelan County, WA Cannabis Regulations: Dispensary Zoning (2026)

Significant Restrictions
Compiled from the official code textEditor Martyn O'NeillLast verified September 2026

Key Facts

Indoor zones allowed
RI, AC, RR20, RR10 zones only
Outdoor zone allowed
RR20 zone only
Permit required
Conditional use permit in every zone
Tier 3 (10,000+ sq ft) restriction
Indoor only, Rural Industrial zone
License limit
One state cannabis license per legal lot
Other cannabis uses
Clubs, lounges, cooperatives banned countywide

Summary

Chelan County has not opted out of cannabis; it channels licensed producers, processors and retailers into specific unincorporated zones. Indoor cannabis production and processing are allowed only in Rural Industrial, Commercial Agricultural Lands, and Rural Residential/Resource 10 and 20 zones, each requiring a conditional use permit. Outdoor production is confined to the RR20 zone alone, also by conditional use permit. Inside the Peshastin and Manson growth areas, cannabis businesses instead follow the applicable city's own municipal code.

These county ordinances apply to unincorporated areas of Chelan County. Incorporated cities within the county may have their own rules that take precedence over county-level regulations.

Indoor cannabis producers and/or processors shall only be allowed in the rural industrial (RI), commercial agricultural lands (AC), rural residential/resource 20 (RR20) and rural residential/resource 10 (RR10) zones defined and identified in Title 11, subject to conditional use approval, and meeting the production/processing buffers identified in this section. ... Outdoor cannabis production (and associated processing) ... shall only be allowed in the rural residential/resource 20 (RR20) zone, defined and identified in Title 11, subject to conditional use approval, and meeting the production (and associated processing) buffers identified in this section.

View official code

Full Breakdown

040 of the Chelan County Code is the zoning gate for every cannabis business in the unincorporated county. 93 and Title 14. Outdoor production is narrower still: it is confined to the RR20 zone alone, also subject to conditional use approval. A Tier 3 state license, which allows 10,000 square feet or more of plant canopy, is barred everywhere except as an indoor operation in the RI zone; Tier 1 and Tier 2 licenses may use the other approved zones. 050(4). 040(1)(C). 100 permits cannabis production, processing and retail sales under this chapter but bans every other cannabis use countywide, including cannabis clubs or lounges, research facilities, and cooperatives, leaving home growing of medical cannabis by qualified patients as the sole carve-out. A conditional use application also requires a preapplication meeting with the Department of Community Development before submittal.

Violations & Fines

Cannabis conditional use permits are immediately revocable under Section 11.100.050 for failure to comply with a permit condition, the chapter, or the underlying code, following the revocation process in Chapter 16.14. Operating outside an approved zone, without the required conditional use permit, or as a prohibited use under Section 11.100.100 exposes the operator to a notice and order under Chapter 16.06 and civil fines of $750 for a first violation, rising to $1,500 for a repeat, collectible as a lien against the property.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which zones allow cannabis production in unincorporated Chelan County?
Indoor cannabis producers and processors may locate only in the Rural Industrial, Commercial Agricultural Lands, and Rural Residential/Resource 10 and 20 zones. Outdoor production is confined to the RR20 zone alone. Every location in every zone still needs a conditional use permit reviewed under Chapter 11.93 and Title 14 before operating.
Has Chelan County opted out of cannabis retail?
No. Section 11.100.100 expressly permits cannabis production, processing and retail sales under Chapter 11.100, so the county has not banned licensed cannabis businesses outright. It has instead confined every cannabis use to specific zones and conditional use review, while banning unrelated cannabis uses like clubs, lounges and cooperatives countywide.
What happens to cannabis zoning inside the Peshastin and Manson growth areas?
Cannabis businesses located within the Peshastin or Manson urban growth areas, which the county zones itself, follow the applicable city's own municipal code rather than the county's cannabis chapter, under Section 11.100.040(1)(C). Businesses outside those growth areas follow the county's zone list and conditional use process directly.
Can a Tier 3 cannabis producer operate outdoors in Chelan County?
No. A Tier 3 state cannabis production license, which allows 10,000 square feet or more of plant canopy, is barred everywhere in the county except as an indoor operation in the Rural Industrial zone. Outdoor production is limited to the RR20 zone and only for licenses below that canopy threshold.

Sources & Official References

Other rules in Chelan County

Noise Ordinances: Construction HoursSome RestrictionsParking Rules: RV & Boat ParkingSome RestrictionsBuffer ZonesSome RestrictionsNoise Ordinances: Decibel LimitsSome RestrictionsParking Rules: Commercial & Oversized VehiclesSome RestrictionsParking Rules: EV ChargingLight RestrictionsParking Rules: Driveway RulesSome Restrictions

All Chelan County rules

Compare Chelan County to another location·View the Washington cannabis regulations overview

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